But now come along till mother is ready, and I'll show you the river where those little fishes lived." Out ran the children, ready to go anywhere and see anything in this beautiful new place, which seemed to them a palace of wonders.

And presently they were skipping over the soft green grass, each holding one of father's hands, and chattering away to him as if their little tongues would never stop.

What a hot day it was going to be! The sky overhead was deep blue, with scarcely a cloud, they could hear nothing in the still air but the sleepy cooing of the doves in the trees by the gate, and the trees and flowers all looked as if they were going to sleep in the heat.
"Father, why did that old gentleman at Willingham last week tell mother that it always rained in the mountains ?" asked Milly, looking up at the blue sky.
"Well, Milly, I'm afraid you'll find out before you go home that it does know how to rain here.

Sometimes it rains and rains as if the sky were coming down and all the world were going to turn into water.

But never mind about that now--it isn't going to rain to-day." Down they went through the garden, across the road, and into a field on the other side of it, a beautiful hay-field full of flowers, with just a narrow little path through it where the children and Mr.Norton could walk one behind another.